


Lock It Up (Throw Away The Key)

by TheMajesticLauren



Category: Ben 10 Series
Genre: Alien X - Freeform, Anxiety, Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, Character Study, Conversations, Gen, Introspection, Protective Siblings, except they're cousins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 18:53:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19836421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMajesticLauren/pseuds/TheMajesticLauren
Summary: Ben is forced to use Alien X for the second time, and all Gwen and Kevin can do is wait. Gwen and Ben do some thinking about his Alien X form, and what it means to lose control.





	Lock It Up (Throw Away The Key)

**Author's Note:**

> Ben 10 fanfiction? In 2019? IT'S MORE LIKELY THAN YOU THINK :D  
> Also I just wanna apologize to my user subs for the increase in fandoms you probably didn't sign up for lmao. 
> 
> This story takes place around the beginning of Ultimate Alien, before The Forge Of Creation. This would be his second time using Alien X. They've already made the lockout system for Alien X.

“I really hate this.” She said softly, hugging her arms to her chest. Her neck felt bare without the lockout necklace. Ben’s body was laid as comfortably as possible on the floor, with Kevin’s jacket acting as a makeshift pillow for Ben’s head. Not that it mattered anyway, since Alien X floated above the ground. She didn’t even know if he felt anything in that form. As much as she wanted him to, he never talked about his times as the different aliens, other than just to exclaim how cool it was in the heat of battle. She knew they affected him in some way, though. The look in his eyes right before slamming the Ultimatrix earlier would never leave her memory.

“He knew what he signed up for.” Kevin spoke, leaning up against the wall and watching the exit. They wouldn’t be safe there for much longer, they had to move. He turned to face Gwen and saw the incredulous look on her face.

“He knew what he signed up for?” She asked with a tone of voice that let him know he was in the wrong. “He was ten, Kevin. You know better than _anyone_ how little kids think through important choices at that age!” She unwrapped her arms from her body. The redhead paced around the room. “Sure, he could have decided not to use his alien forms anymore, but could he _really_ make that choice? Knowing all the people he had saved with them?”

Kevin stood silently, but Gwen had known him long enough to know he wasn’t ignoring her. Kevin sighed and shook his head. “I meant about using Alien X, but you’re right. He’s the type of person to goof around, but when it comes down to it he’ll always put others before himself.”

Gwen sighed and slid down the wall to sit. She pulled her knees up and rested her arms on them, a clear sign of defeat and acceptance. “You’re not wrong. I just wish he would talk to us more, tell us more about his transformations. I know not all of them are pleasant experiences. Like Ghostfreak.”

When they were kids, none of Ben’s forms had scared her as badly as Ghostfreak, and Gwen knew she could say the same for Ben. Even when Ghostfreak’s DNA wasn’t available anymore, the fear of losing control like that didn’t just go away overnight. It stays with you. And even though Alien X is different in how it’s used, the premise is still the same.

Your life is no longer completely in your hands.

Kevin walked over and sat down next to her. “Well, you can try and talk to him about it again once this is all over and he’s back.”

Gwen scoffed and looked sad for a moment. “If he comes back.”

Kevin bumped her gently with his shoulder. “I’m sorry, who are you and what did you do with Gwen?” She rolled her eyes but he kept going. “You’ve gotta stay positive about this stuff. Not about everything, even you’re not that good, but at least his alien stuff. You know he worries about you too.”

Gwen opened her mouth to refute but stopped. He was right; she may be anxious over her own alien powers sometimes, but that doesn’t mean she gets to be over his. She needs to be his backbone when he can’t find his way. She may be his cousin, but that doesn’t been she hasn’t taken on the big sister role before. Even as kids, under all the teasing and name calling they genuinely cared about each other.

“There’s gotta be some way to help him with this Alien X stuff though.” She said, holding her chin as she thought.

“He mentioned he negotiates in there, right?”

Gwen hummed in response, an idea growing in her mind.

“Why not help him with that? It’s like, the one alien where your brains are more important than your strength. It’s the _perfect_ alien for you.” 

Gwen looked at him and nodded, her reserves gone and her motivation back. “You’re right.”

She grabbed her phone from her pocket and began researching. What would be the best things to know when deliberating over the sake of the universe?

This was gonna be harder than she thought, but she loved a good challenge.

* * *

Ben really wished he didn’t have to use Alien X again, but he didn’t have a choice. He discussed it with Kevin and Gwen and even they didn’t have a better plan. So, arguing with floating heads who could destroy the universe in one conversation it was.

_God his life was insane._

The worst thing about transforming into Alien X wasn’t the fact that he could screw up the universe. It should have been, but Ben had so much practice in it he almost became numb to it.

No, the worst part was how out of control he felt.

He had no sense of time floating through space. It almost felt like he was in a coma, except his dreams were real and had dire consequences if they played out wrong. What felt like half an hour was actually an hour, and what felt like an hour was actually two minutes. Time had no consistency.

He should be grateful for that, in a sense. He could take as long as he needed to negotiate and he’d probably be alright in the real world. But, he didn’t know that for sure, did he? Did one experience give him enough information to say that was true?

Was there a limit to how long he could stay as Alien X? Would Serena and Bellicus have enough of him and vote to kick him out before they could reach a vote? Or worse, erase him? No, of course not. They wanted to keep him there forever, not get rid of him. They needed him.

Wait, wasn’t that worse?

He didn’t want to keep having these consuming thoughts. Ben assumed he was free of them when he decided to never use Alien X again, but that was not the case. He worried about Alien X like he worried about Ghostfreak. He hated knowing there were aliens on the Ultimatrix he didn’t have full control over. He was starting to get over the fear after Kevin made the lockout system, but it seemed like he’d never get over it as long as the universe needed him or Alien X.

Ben shuddered, the negative emotions making his incorporeal body feel sick. Luckily, it looked like they were almost done. He could only hope they made the right choice.

* * *

“Look, I think he’s coming back!” Gwen exclaimed, standing up to kick the napping Kevin awake.

“Wha- I’m up, I’m up.” Kevin said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He looked over towards Ben and saw that she was right. In a flash of light, Ben was back in his body, looking none the worse for wear.

“Ben!” She gasped, rushing to check him over. When he didn’t immediately wake up she felt for a pulse. Kevin shifted behind her, unsure how to help. After a few tense seconds she breathed a sigh of relief. “He should be fine, the Ultimatrix probably just drained him.”

The two sat back down against the wall opposite of Ben. They couldn’t chance going outside yet if Ben hadn’t actually fixed anything.

“I think he did it.” Kevin spoke up. “Our phones have signal and we haven’t received any distress signals.”

Gwen nodded but didn’t move from her spot or take her eyes off Ben. “Even so, we’re not leaving him here.” It was weird that he wasn’t awake after transforming back. She didn’t trust that nothing was wrong, not yet.

After half an hour, Ben started to wake. His hands twitched as he slowly pried his eyes open. He looked around, recognizing the old secure basement they had taken shelter in. It was still stocked with the same food and water it had when he left. He looked to the right and saw Gwen dozing on a bored looking Kevin. Ben smiled softly at the two of them. “Hey Kevin.”

Kevin’s eyes snapped to him, looking surprised to see him awake. “Hey yourself, dude.” Ben let out a quiet laugh as Kevin gently shook Gwen awake.

She looked around before her gaze landed on her cousin. “Ben!” She said as she quickly stood up and went over to him. “Are you okay?”

“How’s it looking out there?” Ben asked in lieu of an answer while Gwen helped him sit up. His head didn’t hurt too badly this time. Huh.

She sighed. “We haven’t gone out yet. We were waiting to hear what happened.” Gwen said as the two of them stood up.

“What, didn’t trust I could do it?” He asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

Gwen paused for a moment before she realized he was just teasing her. She huffed out a laugh and hit his shoulder. “You doofus.”

Ben gave her a big smile. “Right back at ya, dweeb.”

Kevin took that moment to cough and ask the important question. “So? They agreed?”

Ben’s face turned serious, his eyes losing their hint of a playful spark for a moment. “They did. Earth shouldn’t have to prepare for an imminent attack anytime soon. At least not from these guys.”

“Alright! Let’s go celebrate then!” Kevin said as he slapped his back in congratulations. “I’ll drive.”

The joyful mood lasted for the few minutes it took to pack up before he realized.

“Hey, but we brought my car!”

“I know.”

“But-”

Gwen smiled as she walked out of the basement with her stuff, lockdown key back safely around her neck. She’d let them argue, just for tonight. After all, they did just save the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Ghostfreak and Alien X are the two aliens that have never left my mind, even all these years later. I can't help but think about the potential these aliens had if Ben 10 wasn't a kids show. If anyone actually reads this I might do a horror Ghostfreak fic :o
> 
> here's my links! come chat with me  
> [Tumblr](https://desmondmlles.tumblr.com)  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/_NOCTlS)


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